Ontario Hospital Treating Nigerian Passenger With Ebola-Like Symptoms

It appears - just as CDC Director Frieden feared - that an escalation of the Ebola virus in Nigeria would mean major risks. While it is too soon for results, City News is reporting that Brampton Civic hospital is taking precautionary measures after a patient who recently travelled to Canada from Nigeria came down with a fever and other flu-like symptoms. This comes on top of the fact, as Time reports, that the CDC has received dozens of calls from all over the United States about people that had gotten sick after traveling to Africa.

“Osler sees and treats several patients a week with similar symptoms because of its proximity to the airport and over the last week, has put in heightened infection control protocols as a precautionary measure due to the emerging situation in West Africa,” the spokesperson said.

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“Osler medical experts are working closely with Peel Public Health to confirm a diagnosis,” the hospital said.

Canada is already implementing many of the measures being advised by the WHO, including maintaining preparedness to detect, investigate and manage people with Ebola in the unlikely event that a case arrives in Canada. Canada has the capacity to perform diagnostic testing and to manage any ill travelers through the Quarantine Act.

In addition, hospitals in Canada have infection control systems and procedures in place that are designed to limit the spread of infection, protect health care workers, and provide the best care possible for the patient.

There are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Canada and the risk to Canadians remains very low. In fact, there has never been a case of Ebola in Canada, thanks in part to Canada’s close monitoring of the situation and international involvement in rapid diagnostic testing and health surveillance.

The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that Canadians avoid all non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone due to the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak.

“We’ve triaged those calls and about half-dozen or so resulted in specimen coming to CDC for testing and all have been negative for Ebola,” CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said, adding that the agency is expecting still more calls to come in.